Compartment humidifier



Jan. -22, 1957 s. Y. GIBBON COMPARTMENT HUMIDIFIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1955 23 fl 29F I/VVE/VTOR MM 5 24m J/WQ 1 W A 770K175 y Jan. 22, 1957 5. Y. GIBBOYN COMPARTMENI HUMIDIFIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1953 A (in llL ll l l llll l I. I

COMPAR'IMENT HUMIDIFIER Samuel Y. Gibbon, Jenkintown, Pa., assignor tp Air- Shields, Inc., Bucks County, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application April 22, 1953, Serial No. 350,452

6 Claims. (Cl. 261-19) This invention relates to humidifying apparatus and is more particularly concerned with special equipment for use with enclosed chambers such as incubators and the like, where accurate control of the atmosphere may be maintained.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide as an accessory unit, apparatus which will generate water mist, mix it with gas, convey the mixture and deliver it to an enclosed chamber such as an infant incubator and recirculate the atmosphere from the chamber through the apparatus, thereby producing a supersaturated, moisture-laden atmosphere within the chamber. In infant incubators the presence of supersaturated moisture conditions is of vital importance, particularly where respiratory problems are involved and where infants are premature or delivered by Caesarean section. Such supersaturation prevents dehydration of the respiratory tract and assists in liquefying secretions, thus facilitating their removal. Also dehydration by expiration is prevented and cutaneous evaporation reduced, thereby reducing weight loss and contributing to a more favorable water balance. The importance of supersaturation will be more clearly realized when it is pointed out that with air at 90 F. and 90% relative humidity an infant must expend a potential of 16 cubic centimeters of Water every twenty-four hours to humidify the air entering and leaving the lungs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a humidifying device which is simple in construction and which may readily be disassembled for inspection and cleaning. The construction includes a body block to which other parts of the apparatus may be fastened in a manner which permits ready removal without the use of tools.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a circulation system in a humidity device of this nature which may be attached to a pair of adjacent openings and which utilizes two adjacent pipes or ducts extending in parallelism, one of which is used for the delivery of atomized water particles to an air stream passing through it and the other serving as a low pressure recirculation channel through which atmosphere drawn from the enclosure is circulated through the humidifier unit for the purpose of maintaining a supersaturated condition.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a humidifier unit which may be quickly attached for support on the wall of the occupants enclosure by means of spring clips fastened at the upper ends of the circulating pipes. A further feature of the mounting is the use of a simple resilient lip which forms a sealed connection between the humidifier unit and the wall through the pressure applied by the spring clips which support the unit.

How the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are attained will be clear from the following description of the drawings in which Figure l is a perspective view of an infant incubator showing the humidifying apparatus of the present invention mounted in position on the external wall.

nited States Patent Figure 2 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale taken through the delivery duct of the apparatus in a direction as shown by arrows 2-2, Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a front elevation partly in section as indicated by arrows 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the body of the apparatus taken in the direction of arrows 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the return pipe taken in the direction of arrows 5-5, Figure 3.

Referring to the figures it will be seen in Figure 1 that the 'humidifying apparatus 10 may be attached to the external wall 11 of the incubator device 12. Infant incubators of this type are well known, an example being shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 108,825, filed August 5, 1949, issued as Patent Number 2,648,327 on August 11, 1953.

From Figures 2 to 4 it will be seen that wall 11 incorporates two small circular openings 13 and 14 which are used for the supply and recirculation of humidified atmosphere. The block 15 acts as the central body to which the other parts of the assembly are attached. The pipe units 16 and 17 are mounted in suitable openings 18 and 19 in block 20 by means of set screws 21. Block 20 in turn is assembled to the main body block 15 by means of knurled screws 22. When the humidifier unit is not in place, openings 13 and 14 are available for emergency ingress of room air in case of power failure. Under normal operation a slight internal pressure prevents room air from entering through these openings. Both pipes 16 and 17 extend upwardly in parallelism and are curved at their upper end to form a bend so that delivery from the pipes is perpendicular to the wall 11. In order to provide a satisfactory seal between the end of each pipe and the wall 11 a resilient ring 23 which may be of rubber or similar deformable material is provided around the inside of the pipe with an extending lip 24 designed to engage the surface of the wall and be compressed against it. A suitable reenforcing ring 25 extends annularly inside of the sealing ring 24. In order to support the complete unit 10 in place on the wall a spring clip 26 is fastened to the lower side of each pipe outlet by suitable means such as screws 27. Springs 26 are shaped to not only hook over the edge of openings 13 and 14 and engage the inside of the wall 11, but at the same time to apply spring tension causing the seal 24 to be drawn snugly against the wall 11. It will be noted that the body block 15 extends inwardly to engage the wall 11 in a position which retains the assembly in a stable, upright position.

in body block 15 there is a cylindrical depression 28 located at the lower end of the delivery pipe 16. pression 28 atomizer unit 29 is supported by means of two tubes 36} and 31 which engage corresponding holes in the block 15. Hole 33 supports short tube 36 and in turn is connected by horizontal channel 34 to an external fitting 35 to which a flexible tube 36 may be connected for the delivery of air or oxygen under pressure. Long tube 31 extends from the atomizer head directly through thebody 15 into the jar or container 37 which holds the supply of liquid for use in the humidification process. The vessel 3'7 is attached to a screw-cap 38 which in turn is supported on the under side of the body 15 by means of screws 39. A rubber tube 49 engages the long tube 31 and extends to the bottom of jar 37 where a screened terminal 41 prevents the intake of dirt particles which might clog the atomizer.

Inside the atomizer unit 29, as will best be seen from Figure 3, the small channel 42 leads from the gas intake pipe 319 to a small internal chamber 43. Likewise the" small channel 44 leads from the tube 31 to the side of chamber 43. A small central opening 45 leads from the chamber 43 through to the outsideof the atomizer and In deforms-the.nozzle through which the mixture of gas and water vapor passes from the atomizer.

At the lower end of return pipe 17 a cylindrical depressiorr46is formed in the block ltSsimilat todepres'sio-n 28 at the bottom end of delivery pipe 16. A hole 47 extends completely through the block so that it opens into the reservoir 37. Hole 4-7 also serves to connect depressions 46 and 28 and thus provides a channel for circulation of gas from the return pipe 17 to the delivery pipe 16.

Return pipe 17 incorporates an external sleeve 48, the construction of which may best be observed by reference to Figures 3 and 5. Outer sleeve 48 has a pair of opposite openings 49, 49 which in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 are in line with small openings 59, 50 in the return pipe 17. Sleeve 48 is held in this position by means of-a pin or rivetSl which extends from the pipe 17 and supports the lower edge of sleeve A notch 52 isprovided in the lower edge of sleeve 43 to engage the surface of pin 51, thereby retaining the sleeve in the proper position to align it with its openings 49, 49 in line with inner openings 56, 54 Two other notches 53 and 54 are also-provided in sleeve 43 to permit other positions of adjustment; With the sleeve rotated until notch 53 engages pin 51, external holes 49, 49 are not in line with any holes in the inner pipe 17 and thus the air entrance is closed. However when sleeve 48 is rotated so that notch 54 engages pin 51 the openings 49, 49 are in line with large openings 55, 55 in the inner pipe 17, thereby providing a larger entrance area.

When it is desired to operate the apparatus to supply a high degree of humidity for the atmosphere in the in cubator chamber, the tube 36 is connected to a source of air under a slight pressure or to oxygen under pressure. The delivery of gas through the atomizer causes pick up of moisture from the reservoir 37 and delivery in the form of mist through the nozzle 45. The mixture of gas and mist moves into the incubator through the delivery pipe 16 and the opening 13. As the mixture of gas and finely divided water particles flows upwardly through the vertical tube 16 the heavier particles of water vapor fall through the tube or condense on the side wallsand elbow and run back down to the lower end of the tube where the condensed moisture drips back through the opening 47 into the reservoir 37. The mixture of gas and water vapor is delivered through the opening 13 to the occupants compartment. The low pressure created by the atomizer action causes atmosphere from the incubator to be drawn in through the inlet opening 14 where it is recirculated by passing downwardly through the pipe 1? and across to pipe 16. Here it mixes with the gas delivered from the atomizer and picks up additional moisture to accelerate the humidification process and maintain it at the desired high degree of humidity. When additional air is desired this may be introduced by adjusting the outer sleeve 43 to the desired opening and permit the suction produced by the atomizer action to draw in an auxiliary supply of air from the room. With this construction, accurate control of the oxygen concentration may be maintained.

It will .be evident that, if desired, this equipment may be used for the delivery of medicaments, such as an aerosol, to the incubator. In this case the medicament is placed in the reservoir 37 in place of water and delivered in the fashion described above.

Humidifying apparatus operating on the general principles of the present apparatus is shown in my previously filed applications, Serial No. 60,846, filed November 19, 1948, and issued April 15, 1952, as Patent No. 2,593,134, andSerial No. 162,111, filed May 15, 1950, and issued January 6, 1953, as Patent No. 2,624,337.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that I have provided an improved type of humidifier unit for use with infant incubators or similar special chambers where high or supersaturated humidity conditions are desired. Operation may be accomplished by connecting to asource vof-air under pressure or by using the normal oxygen supply. This compact unit can be readily disassembled by removing the delivery pipe'section as a sub assembly thus giving easy access to the atomizer unit to permit cleaning out any dirt particles which might hamper its efiicient operation.

The liquid reservoir may also be readily removed by merely unscrewing it from the block to permit it to be cleaned and replenished. By the use of the simple supporting spring clips and the surface sealing devices the unit may be quickly attached to the wall of the incubator whenever humidification or medication is desired. The apparatus will also operate satisfactorily when placed completely within the enclosure.

I claim:

1. Humidifying apparatus for supplying water vapor to an enclosed chamber including a pair of parallel vertical duct members, each having an elbow at the upper end thereof, the enclosed chamber having a pair of openings in the wall to match the openings at the upper ends of said duct members, a body to which the lower ends of said members are attached, said body having a channel interconnecting the lower ends of said members, said body also supporting an atomizer unit in one of said duet members, and a clip device connected to the upper end of each duct adjacent the terminal opening thereof for supporting the humidifying apparatus in position on the chamber wall.

2. Apparatus attachable to a wall of a humidity chamber including a body member having two vertical ducts extending upwardly therefrom, a disconnectible reservoir supported on said body, said body having a connecting channel between the lower ends of said ducts and also having a separate channel leading to the lower end of one of said ducts, an atomizer mounted in said body at the end of said separate channel, a flow channel between said atomizer and said reservoir mounted on said body, one of said ducts having air inlet openings near its lower end and an adjustable member operable to control the air flow through said openings.

3. A humidit generating and circulating unit including a body having a pair of ducts extending upwardly therefrom, said body being formed from a fiat block and having a pair of circular depressions therein to receive the lower ends of said ducts and having a connecting channel between said depressions, said block having a hole extending from one of the edges of said block to one of said depressions, an atomizer supported in said depression and connected to said hole, a reservoir attached to the underside of said block and a connection from said atomizer to said reservoir.

4. A humidifier device having a pair of parallel vertical ducts, an elbow at the upper end of each duct, a supporting clip connected to each elbow, a resilient seal at the end of each duct to engage a vertical wall, a body member at the lower end of said ducts having an interduct flow channel therein, said body member projecting beyond the ducts an amount to engage a vertical wall and retain the ducts in vertical position, an atomizer supported on said body at the lower end of one of said ducts and fluid and gas connections to said atomizer.

5. A humidifier device for attaching to a wall, said device having a pair of parallel vertical ducts, an elbow at the upper end of each duct, one of said ducts being arranged with an atomizer therein to supply a mixture of gas and vapor to a chamber, the other of said ducts providing for return circulation of gas, a flow channel between the lower ends of saidducts, a spring clip at the outlet of each duct shaped'to engage the edge of a wall opening and support the device in position, a resilient seal around each duct terminal to contact a wall around an opening, said spring clips providing the force to hold said seals in intimate sealing position when the humidifier device is mounted in operating position.

6. A humidifier device for attachment to the ported wall of an enclosed chamber, saiddevice comprising a pair of vertical ducts, each having an elbow at its upper end and having means for supporting said humidifier device to the porting in said Wall, said ducts supporting an atomizer positioned in a zone adjacent the lower end of one duct for supplying a mixture of gas and vapor to the chamber, the other of said ducts providing for return circulation of gas from said chamber; a flow channel between the lower ends of said ducts; and means for controlling the amount of returned gas passing into the first-named duct for re-circulation.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Minton Apr. 6, 1937 Bichowsky Mar. 29, 1938 Hartman Mar. 24, 1942 Heidbrink Sept. 30, 1947 Trier Mar. 30, 1948 Gibbon Apr. 15, 1952 Grieb June 10, 1952 Taylor July 15, 1952 

